The Bet
by The-Other-Ghostwriter
Summary: The Major and Integra hold a wager concerning Seras and their respective opinions of her nature. Who will win? Implied IxM, SxM.
1. Chapter 1

_Damn. This. Writer's block. --hangs head-- I actually came up with this after reading Hellsing Volume 9 with the 'Major rejecting the blood' scene. And so 'poof'. Mmmyep. So here we are. Have at it._

**THE BET**

Dinner was nice tonight. Hell, dinner was nice _every_ night, quite frankly, but tonight Integra was aware enough to actually notice. She was eating steak--medium rare, just how she liked it--and an assortment of vegetables. To the left of her plate was a glass of red wine, a very fine year. She was wearing a white silk evening gown, sleeveless with a tasteful neckline, and a silver necklace that reflected the light of the candles in the middle of the table. It was such a nice, perfect dinner. So what was the problem that made her wish her thoughts were elsewhere?

"Ist your steak not to your liking, _Fraulein_?"

Yes. That. "No, Major, it's fine," Integra replied, picking up her fork and knife. She cut out a piece of the steak and ate it, then washed it down with a sip of wine.

This was the usual routine, and had been for the past year. For the past year, every evening just at sunset, the Major would call on her for a nice dinner. After the dinner, he would take her on a walk around the area that the current base of operations was, which was indeed lovely, but she barely noticed. After the walk, he would have her accompany him back inside for meetings, planning, and that sort of thing. After the fact, they would have another meal, and then she would go to back to her room for whatever sleep she could muster for the next night.

Yes, this was the routine. Integra hated routine, really. At least with vampire hunting, there was randomness to count on to make life interesting (other than the fact that her life revolved around vampire hunting). Finding Alucard was random. Discovering the FREAK chip was random. Seras becoming a new member of Hellsing was random. The whole bloody Nazi war was random. Now? Routine. No randomness. Everything playing out within the Major's little hand just as he wants it to. That was her whole day.

Integra finished her meal and sat quietly to wait for the Major to finish his. Despite how the little fat man looked, he actually didnt seem to eat much. She ate just as much as he did, drank as much as he did, and when he had a small snack, he would give her what he was having.....and while on the subject, why did he find it necessary to eat, anyway? He was a bloody _cyborg_, for the love of the Queen! She brought that subject up once. The Major just told her that he was human and that she was being a little rude at the dinner table and that was the end of that. So she never even got her answer.

Staring at her empty plate as opposed to watching the Major finish his meal, Integra felt her mind twitch with something akin to a mental huff. She seriously needed a cigar, but the Major told her that cigars were "unladylike", and had weaned her off of them within a week. But now...it was a time like this that she really couldnt give a shit.

The Major finally finished and stood up to walk over to her end of the table to pull out her chair for her. Integra let him, then stood up and straightened out her dress, then took the Major's offered arm reluctantly for the 'nice', routine walk. Integra felt like drowning out this walk like she had all the others, but tonight, something caught her attention.

It was Seras. The young vampire was in the shooting range, teaching some newer recruits how to shoot. The sight of Seras made Integra's heart clench slightly.

In the beginning, after the Major had declared his victory and retreated with nothing but himself, the Doktor, Integra, and Seras, plus a few relatively unimportant men to pilot the airship, a new life had begun. The first thing that the Major did was summon Integra into the Doktor's cybernetics lab, where he spoke to her while the Dok tediously fixed his broken commander. The basic conversation was that Integra would be his companion, and that would entail her wearing what he picked out for her, joining him wherever he went, and more or less being there just to have some company. In return for those terms, he would pull out of England for a re expansion which would most likely take another forty or fifty years, tops.

Being that Integra had nothing else to battle him with, she had agreed, then inquired about Seras. The Major just grinned, his face distorted since the Dok hadnt gotten to that yet, and said that he needed a new Captain. And that was where Seras went. Integra sat beside the Major in the _Kommandantzimmer_, and Seras stood behind him to his right. The girl wore, per Major's instructions, the same style uniform the former werewolf Captain had worn, which Integra figured to be the Major's sense of humor. Seras was given orders, and she obeyed, since, when Integra was unaware, the Dok had told her that if Seras did not obey the Major, then Integra would die.

With the past year come and gone, Integra actually found it no surprise that Seras had grown accustomed to this new life. As a vampire, she needed a sense of purpose, or she'd go insane. Being a Nazi Captain to the Mad Major was just the stress relief she needed, and she was allowed to indulge her vampiric desire for combat as often as she wanted; encouraged, really. But even in the light of all that, Integra noticed that Seras remained......Seras. The same innocent little girl that Alucard brought back from Cheddar almost two years ago. And that was one continuity that Integra _didnt_ mind.

She didnt notice that while she was watching Seras, the Major had stopped walking, and was watching the girl with her. Finally, the Major grinned and squeezed Integra's hand.

_"Meine liebe Frau,"_ he murmured, close to her ear, "does something distract you?"

Integra blinked with a small start, and turned to look down at the Major, who was grinning up at her, his golden eyes flashing. Integra shook her head and looked at Seras again.

"....Nothing," she replied. "It's nothing." The Major grinned more broadly and unhooked his arm from hers to put both arms behind his back and clasp his hand together.

"You are thinking about Captain Wictoria," he said matter-of-factly. Integra cursed his ability to know _everything_. He chuckled. "Not that I can blame you, _Frau _Integra. The girl....ist a marvel, really..." His eyes shifted to watch his Captain instruct the recruits with a firm hand and an even firmer voice. "...A joke, even..."

Integra's eyes narrowed. "A 'joke'?" she demanded. "How is Seras a 'joke'?!" The Major's eyes slid back up to her, his eyes flashing again.

"...As I haf said," he replied. "Just...a joke. She ist so unlike any wampire I haf ewer encountered. She hast the potential to haf as much power as her former Master..." He shook his head, laughing softly to himself. "...Such a shame...I vill haf to lose a Captain the day that happens..."

The former Hellsing director blinked. "What do you mean by _that_?" she asked. The Major arched a brow.

"I meant," he said, "that I vould not allow such a being to run rampant on zis Earth." He smirked. "Und I am sure you vould not either."

Integra scowled. "Seras is not like that," she informed firmly. "She would never be like Alucard. _Never_." She felt her old temper flare up when the Major actually snorted at her response.

"She ist a wampire," he said carelessly, gesturing with his hand. "As much of a _Blut Jungfrau_ she ist now...if she vas given the opportunity, she vould take the blood of another var's river into herself...just like the wampire Alucard."

Integra could feel her nails bite into her palms through her silk evening gloves. ".....Would you care to bet on that?"

_That_ seemed to catch the Major's attention. He blinked and stared at her, his eyes full of interest. "...I vould."

Silence rang between the two, the only sound being Seras's gunfire and commands. Finally, Integra spoke.

"How about we make this an official wager, hm?" She walked over to the railing above Seras and the recruits and held the bar, looking down at her former employee. "Say we give Seras that opportunity.....a complete and total uncontrolled-factor opportunity. And we let _her_ make that choice...."

The Major stepped beside her to also look at Seras. "....Such confidence you haf...." he murmured to himself. "...Vhat vould your terms be?" Integra gave the Major a side glance through her one good eye.

"...If I win this wager, then I go free," she said, gripping the bar tighter as the Major shifted his eyes to her again. "You let me go, and you leave Britain--me and everything and everyone else--be forever." The Major's silence unnerved her slightly.

"......Und if I vin..." he finally said, a grin spreading across his face, "...you marry me und Seras Wictoria dies." He grinned more broadly. "By _your_ hand."

A sense of cold washed over Integra, but she kept her face passive. "....Deal," she said. She watched Seras shout at some man for missing the target by a mile, and clenched the bar tighter. _No_, she thought. She had complete confidence in Seras. She was not like Alucard...not at all.

...At all.

* * *

_In Part II, the bet is put into play. Who will win?_


	2. Chapter 2

**The Bet Part II**

So the deal was set.

Days passed and The Bet, which was what the subject was called, was still not put into effect. However, the Major did say that there would have to be a situation just like the one a year ago for Seras to play on, but Integra for the life of her didnt know how one would gain such a gaming ground unless they found a city and demolished it completely, just like a year ago. And since the Major had a plethora of new troops at his disposal, that was not really a problem.

So why the wait? She didnt know. The routine continued as was the norm, and the Major barely spoke of The Bet, other than to ask if she was really confident in her hand. And she answered that yes, she was confident in Seras. One hundred percent confident. The Major just gave her an amused _look_ and resumed whatever activity they were currently doing.

Apparently, the Major was also confident in his own hand. And Integra would be lying if she said that his cool confidence didnt make her slightly uneasy. It gave her thoughts of her elder vampire--about how he had practically inhaled all that blood from London. It also made her remember that Seras was of Alucard's blood; and that she was, in fact, a vampire.... And Integra knew that vampires, no matter how much pride and nobility they had, they were fully suseptable to temptation...especially a temptation as large as the one the Major was referring to... It really made her think about this bet and whether or not the Major was going to actually call her out on the bet.

....And then she thought, of course he would. One of his terms was that she would marry him, and she knew how many times he had offered _that_ to her. And each time, she had refused. Now, she didnt have a choice. And as for her own terms.... Either way, one of them would get what they truly wanted out of this deal; he his Valkyrie, and she her freedom and peace.

It was a month after The Bet was made, and still the Major hadnt done or said anything pertaining to The Bet. The day went as normal: wake up, dinner, walk, meeting, another dinner, pleasant parting words, off to bed. Yes, just another normal, _routine_ day. Quite disappointing, really. So Integra took a shower and went to bed, unaware that the Major was in the airship hanger, giving coordinates to a specific place to the pilot.

* * *

It was a nice sleep Integra was having until she was jerked awake by a very loud, obnoxious siren. She almost fell out of the bed, but managed to compose herself and her dignity before leaping out of bed and rushing over to her window.....to find that she was midair. She was on a bloody airship! She looked around her room to find that it wasnt really _her_ room. Nonetheless, she ran to the closet for something to wear, choosing a simple (white, of course) dress to throw on along with some gloves which was habit, since she didnt want to touch him, and rushed out of her door.

It didnt take her long to notice the thin strip of white on the floor leading right from her door and around some corners with obvious intent for her to follow. Cursing the Major a thousand times over, she followed the white strip down the hallways until she found the _Kommandantzimmer_. Inside was the Major, and no one else, who was sitting down on his chair, his legs crossed, fingers laced, and looking like he had been waiting only but a moment for her arrival.

"_Guten tag_, _mein liebe_," he drawled, his golden eyes flashing as he stood up. Integra gave him an ugly look. "Oh, vhat's that look for?"

"I am _not_ in the mood for your games today, Major!" she snapped. "I was _just _woken up by an _obnoxious_ siren and I want to know why!" The Major just grinned and walked over to her and put his hand on the small of her back, leading her out of the _Kommandantzimmer_ and down another hall.

"It ist time," he said, taking a left to where the noise from outside was getting louder. Integra stared at him.

"Time for _what_?" she demanded. The Major just grinned more broadly and pressed a button to open a door, and the racket outside escalated to deafening levels. The sound didnt seem to bother the Major; on the contrary, it seemed to please him. He walked forward onto a balcony of sorts while the airship remained still hovering over a city, which was up in flames. Integra's eyes widened as she took in the sights and sounds of the carnage below. The Major stared down with her, the flames reflecting off his glasses.

"Time for our Bet to come into play." He raised his free hand and gestured behind him, and the Doktor walked up to them.

"_Jawohl, _Herr Major?" The Major didnt even turn around.

"Please fetch me something to drink, Dok," he replied. "Something hot, preferably, it's quite chilly out tonight." He nodded to Integra. "Und vhatever _Frau_ Integra vishes."

Integra looked at the Doktor. "Bring me a cigar," she said. The Major turned to her and arched a brow. Integra just looked right back. "If I have to participate, I want to enjoy it," she said with finality. The Major just shrugged and nodded Dok off.

"Fine," he said. "Though that cigar vill seem useless vhen you lose our bet." Integra shot him another dirty look.

"We'll just see," she said through her teeth. She turned back to the devastation. "...Where are we, anyway?" The Major chuckled and pointed over to a large monument in flames. It was the Roman Colosseum. "...Your sense of humor does not amuse me." The Major just laughed and shook his head.

"My humor ist not vhat you should vorry yourself over," he said, pointing again, though this time much closer down. Integra looked and saw that he was pointing to a clearing where no flames were, but still there was something in there. He handed her a pair of binoculars and leaned forward on the railing.

Integra looked through the binoculars and adjusted them until she found what he was pointing at.

It was Seras. Integra's eyes widened a little as she took in the sight. Seras was lying down on her side, apparently unconscious, but seemingly unscathed. She was wearing what remained of her old Hellsing uniform; what remained was the skirt, the stockings, which were stained red, and a white sleeveless undershirt. "What is the meaning of this, Major?" she demanded. "What did you do to her!?"

The Major scoffed. "I didnt do _anything_," he replied. "I merely had Dok gif her something to keep her sedated until our bet could take place...und here ve are." He grinned and picked up another pair of binoculars for himself to watch Seras. "She should be vaking up any moment now...ah! There she goes!"

Integra looked back down and saw that Seras was indeed waking up. The girl shifted around and sat up, looking like she was just waking up from a nap. Integra heard the Major make a soft sound of anticipated joy.

"...So it begins...!"

* * *

Seras could hear the loud racket around her, but it seemed to fall dull on her ears as she woke up. She rubbed her eyes and looked around...and immediately knew that all was not right. She was not in her room; she wasnt even in the damn Nazi HQ! She shot up and looked around wildly. "Wha....what's going...!?" It was then that all the fire, the screams, and the _smell_ of carnage hit her. She could smell rivers of blood _everywhere_, and she could hear the screams of people that were still alive and the groans of the ghouls about to eat the living. It was confusing and infuriating, and she wanted to know what was going on!

Standing up straight, Seras flexed her left arm to summon her wing....but nothing happened. She looked down at it and saw that it was in its normal flesh form with no sign of it shadowing for her power summons. She had run low on power, and she needed nourishment. The smell of blood smacked her in the face once more, and she almost staggered at the strength of the smell. There was nourishment_ everywhere_, she realized. She could just find a spot with enough blood to take into herself, and she would be strong enough to fly back to Sir Integra and the Major...

* * *

"Here you are, Herr Major, _Frau _Integra." The Dok returned with a small silver tray with a small cup of cocoa for the Major and a pack of fine cigars for Integra.

"_Danke_, my brilliant Doktor," the Major said, taking his cup from the tray. Integra nodded and picked up one of the cigars, but paused before she lit a match. Seras had gotten up and was walking over to the edge of her clearing. "Oh, vould you look at zat!" the Major said before sipping his drink. "She's moving toward ze smell of blood!"

"She's finding some nourishment!" Integra shot back. "Our deal was that she would take an entire city's worth, NOT a few mouthfuls!"

"I know zat, _Fraulein_, just give her time." The Major gave her a charming yet sickening smile.

* * *

Seras looked around, smelling for a fresh source. Of course the freshest source would be from a human, but right now, she didnt want to imbibe upon that. Blood off the ground would suffice more for her taste. As she took a few steps forward, she felt rather woozy, and held her head as a slight nausea overcame her. It felt like she was starving. How long had she been unconscious for, anyway? She put a hand on her stomach, which screamed from it's unhappy hollow emptiness in begging to be filled.

It only made the smell of blood that much more tantalizing. She was hungry, and she wanted.....she _needed_ blood!

A soft sound that seemed to pass over even the screams caught her ears. It was a sound that she'd heard before, back over a year ago. It was the sound of blood flowing little creeks into a river. It was such...a sweet sound...like the sound of a vampire's version of Heaven's everflowing waters--or in this case, blood. The sound alone made her empty body quell its screaming and instead gently implore to be filled. To take it. _All_ of it. All. Of. It.

...................._No._

No, she couldnt take all of it! That would be........so tyrannical! All of those people.....they didnt need to spend their existences inside of her! She didnt need all of it, just a little......

The soft, sweet sound grew louder, and her thoughts were gently cut off.

* * *

Integra's eyes widened as the obvious movement below her--the rivers of blood--cascaded down buildings, over rubble, and through the streets toward the subconscious call of the vampire. She could hear the Major's insanely happy giggling beside her.

"Oh, you might vant to start picking out your vedding dress right now, _meine leibe,_" he said, smirking triumphantly. Integra only shot him another glare, but couldnt say much else. From the looks of things....it would seem that the Major was indeed.....right......

At the moment, Integra didnt even feel like having her cigar anymore.

* * *

As with most things that would cause inevitable terrors, Seras first heard the blood....and then she saw it. From the small distance away, she could see the red blood cascading up, down, around, and toward her. She turned around a 180, then 360, and saw the same thing from all angles. The blood was coming to her. All of it...this entire city's worth! It was coming to feed her! A small sense of relief rose from the pit of her being...

_No!_

Once again, she shook her head. No! She didnt want the whole city! All she wanted was just enough to get out of here! She turned to run away from it, only to be met with the edge of a blood river, the tips seeming to reach out for her like a child to be taken into her vampiric womb. "Wha--!?" She stepped back, beginning to feel sick again, and turned when she heard another cry to be fed behind her. Seras began to feel overwhelmed by the sight, the smell, the sound....

**_Do it. _**

**_Drink the blood._**

**_Seras._**

Seras's eyes widened when she actually _heard_ the blood _talk_ to her! No, no no! She was going crazy!

_**Hear their pleas...**_

Just going crazy was all...!

_**Feel their essence......you know you want it....  
**_

Fuck, it was getting closer! She backed away, putting her hands over her ears to drown out the sound, feeling her fangs elongate and her shadows fighting to break through the skin of her left arm.

**_...To own the souls.......to dominate them..._**

Tears of confusion, pain, and frustration welled in her eyes as she dug her fingernails into her scalp.

_**...They WANT you to do it!!!**_

_God_ why wouldnt it _shut up_!?! It was one chorus of voices melded into one perfect, tempting medley...the temptation sounded like Alucard, the Major, and even herself, all in one....they all wanted her to do it...to drink it....

**...So accept the blood...**

Tears ran from her eyes as she felt her defenses slip away.......

_**...And DRINK!!!

* * *

  
**_

"Let is face it, _meine Fraulein_," the Major said as he watched the blood flow within three feet of Seras's body. "...I haf vone."

Integra turned away, biting her lip to keep from crying, pushing the Major over the railing, or both. He was right........he was right....

_"NOOOOOOO!"_

Both the Major and Integra shot their gazes down to her, where her cry was heard over all the conflagration. Seras had been forced to her knees from her inner battle and was surrounded by the blood......which had stopped their flow to her and now formed a ring less than two feet all around her, showing that she had stopped it herself with sheer will.

Seras slumped forward so she was on both her hands and knees, feeling her body shake from the struggle. It was so painful......hurt so bad.....! But she didnt waver.

"I...." she said, her voice quaking, "...I'm not.....a tyrant....." Her voice carried through the dead silent, which had unexplainably fallen over the city. Seras clenched her teeth and shot her head up to scream into the fiery Hell before her.

_"I!!! AM NOT!!! A TYRANT!!!" _

Letting her tears flow freely, she clenched her hands into fists and stood up in the middle of the circle, and took a step forward, her foot stepping a mere inch from the ring. As she stepped forward, the blood ring instantly parted and drew away from her, as though being thrown back from sheer will.

Up on the airship, the Major's hand actually trembled as he watched with pure disbelief at what he was seeing. "...Vhat ist this....?" he murmured to himself as he watched his Captain walk out of the circle and toward the direction of the airship, the river of blood parting to make a perfectly clean path for her to walk on; it was like watching an unholy version of the Bible take place before his eyes.

To his left, he heard a match strike as Sir Integra lit up her cigar. The woman had a passive look on her face, though her blue eyes were shining more brightly than they had in over a year. "...She didnt take the blood," she said, looking at the Major as she exhaled the smoke.

"Which means...I win."

The Major just stared down at his Captain, who was still walking away from the battle she had won and he had lost.

........He had lost.

"......how......?" he muttered quietly to himself, so quietly that Integra didnt quite catch it. The cup trembled in his hand until it slipped from his fingers and crashed to the floor. "How could I haf lost?"

He had bet everything. _Everything_! He had a full house in his hand, but his _Fraulein_ had the Royal Flush. His hand had lost, and his cards were burning before his eyes. Since when? Since _when_ were his cards worthless!?

Integra merely arched a brow at the stoic, very uncharacteristic silence her companion was exhibiting. "...I'll be getting my things," she said. "As per our deal, you will drop me off in London and leave. Forever. Tell Seras that I'll be waiting for her." She turned to leave.

That last bit lit a small bulb in the Major's head. "......._Nein_," he said, turning to face her, his eyes hidden behind the glare of light on his glasses. Integra paused and turned to face him, her teeth clenched around her cigar.

"We had a deal!" she shot back, her fists clenched. "You agreed that if I won--!"

"Then _you_ vould be set free," the Major finished for her, his visage still unhappy, but his eyes regaining a slight spark. "You said absolutely _nothing_ about Seras joining you in freedom."

A cold dread and a look of shock fell upon Sir Integra. And then she knew that _he_ was right. No, she couldnt have been so stupid as to forget that detail! She _couldnt _have been! The Major took his leave before she could.

"You vill be sent back to London," he said, putting his hands behind his back. "You vill be free. The British Isles shall be kept immune from my var, und nothing else. Captain Seras Wictoria stays vith me. _Those_ are the rules." He walked away from her. "_Auf Wiedersehen_, my Valkyrie......_Auf Wiedersehen...._"

Integra stood silently on the balcony, looking down on the fiery inferno. After a moment, she took her cigar out of her mouth and threw it into the chaos below. There was nothing to celebrate. Nothing.

* * *

_Part III epilogue soon to come._


	3. Chapter 3

**The Bet III**

It was with a heart heavier than lead that Integra had when she packed what little belongings she had. Seras had earlier come back onto the ship with assistance from the Doktor, who fed her and gave her back her new uniform. As far as she knew, Seras had yet to question what had happened; but she knew that the Major would no doubt tell her eventually.

In a bag she packed a change of clothes, her gun, and two of the dresses in her closet for something to wear in the near future. The Major had given her back her sword some time ago, and she put that in the scabbard attached to a belt. When she thought she had everything packed, she heaved a sigh and looked into the vanity mirror.

She didnt look any different than she did a year ago; her hair was a bit longer, but that was it. Her left eye was missing, but the wound itself was healed and covered by a black lens on her glasses. A small glare on her chest caught her eye, and she saw that it was the silver swastika necklace that the Major had given her in place of the small cross she once kept pinned to her ascot. She reached behind her neck to unclasp the small chain and take it off. She stared at it for a moment before laying it down on the vanity's surface. She would not need it anymore.

As far as she could tell, while she was getting her things together, the Major had sent word to controls that the next destination was London. Integra would be dropped off, and Millennium would leave forever....a month ago, that was her greatest dream, her ambitious goal.

....So why did she feel so bad? Why did she feel like a piece of her had been torn away?

Integra grabbed her bag and made sure her sword was securely attached to her belt before throwing a long coat over her shoulders and walking out to the airship hanger. The halls were empty and silent, as though everyone knew of the situation and had cleared the way for her. She did not have a doubt in her mind that that was exactly the situation.

She finally made it to the foyer of the airship, where the Major, the Doktor, and indeed Seras were waiting for her. She looked hard at Seras, who was merely looking confused and curious as to what was going on. The Doktor just looked apprehensive, and the Major.....had no expression at all. His hands were behind his back and his posture was fractionally hunched. Without a word, he turned and lead the way into the airship with his Captain and Doktor in tow. Integra took to the rear, and followed the trio into the _Kommandantzimmer_, where the Major sat on his side of the two-seater that had been installed, an indication that she was to sit next to him as per the norm, which she did. Seras and the Dok took their respective sides behind the command chair.

The entire ride to London was a very quiet affair. The Major did not speak, and nor did Integra. Behind them, Seras and the Doktor were exchanging curious looks, but they too said nothing. The ride took only two or three hours, but to everyone it seemed like two or three weeks. Integra kept shifting her eye over to the Major, who was staring straight ahead out the windows, his golden eyes dull and almost lifeless. The very small amount of space between them, which Integra always thought was far too close, felt so far wide now that she thought about it...and the Major made no move to close that space between them, even for the sake of touching her one last time before she was deployed.

Finally, a voice over the intercom announced their arrival, and the Major stood up, holding out his hand from habit to Integra to help her up. She took it without another thought, giving him at least that much, and he kept his hold on her hand as he led the way to the balcony of the airship where a man was waiting with something that looked like a large box attached to a pulley, which was being attended to by two soldiers. The Major let go of Integra's hand and looked at her.

"This vill lower you into London," he said, his voice hollow. "I vill take my leave thereafter..." He opened up the side door for her. "..._Auf Wiedersehen._..._meine Fraulein....._" He stepped back and Integra stepped forward into the box. When the door was shut, she looked at Seras.

Seras was looking between her former employer and her current Master, looking quite torn, confused, and conflicted. The Major stepped between them. "You vill remain here vith me, Captain Wictoria," he said, his voice firm with finality. Seras's eyes widened fractionally, and she looked past the Major to Integra.

The Hellsing director only nodded and lowered her eyes down to London, which was looking quite well, considering it had only been little more than a year. Seras stared at Integra for the whole time she was lowered down to her country per the Major's instructions. The whole way down, Integra had to fight to keep the tears from her eyes, but it was a losing battle. She finally gave in and let a few tears run down her face as she looked back up to the trio still standing up on the balcony.

The Doktor was standing the tallest of them, his hands at his sides as he looked down at her. He had been decent to her, showing her as much respect as he showed his Fuhrer. Next she saw Seras, whose eyes had never left her since she had been lowered. The girl had a sad look in her eyes, and she looked as though she wanted to jump off of the balcony to join her. But she stayed by the side of her new Master, just as she had been taught and ordered to do.

And the Major was staring down at her, and locked eyes with her. The golden tone had not brightened one bit; his expression was that of someone who had lost their best friend but they were too proud to show it. As Integra stared back up at him, she knew that that was exactly what he was feeling.

Finally, she couldnt look anymore and instead focused on the ground where a team of soldiers were standing beneath her, looking as though they had been expecting her. Her hands clenched into the bar of the box as she touched ground and was escorted out of the box by the soldiers and into the small crowd of the waiting remaining Convention of Twelve.

Up on the airship, the Major subtly motioned with his hand, his command silent but clear: Leave. The airship turned and took off, leaving London forever. With another small gesture, the two soldiers left the balcony, leaving only the trio to stand out. The Doktor remained silent behind his Fuhrer, awaiting a command--_any_ command--to break the silence.

The Major instead looked at his Captain, who had moved from behind him to his side as she looked over the railing to her former commander. He let her do so without a word. As he looked at her, he found himself thinking that this arrangement was not as bad as he had thought. The vampire had shattered his paradigm of her, and made his cards burn to ash. No one, not his former superiors, not Alucard, not even his lovely _Fraulein_ Integra Hellsing herself, had ever been able to do that. Why was that? He actually did not know.

But he wanted to find out.

Seras had been so intent on keeping her gaze on Sir Integra that she had jumped a little when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned and saw that it was the Major who was touching her shoulder. His golden eyes were slightly brighter, and a small hint of a smile teased the corners of his mouth.

"...Let us go back inside, _meine_ Captain," he said softly. The Doktor took that as a cue to leave first, which he did silently. Seras looked at her Master and nodded slowly, standing up straighter and leaving first. The Major followed her, pressing the button to close the balcony door behind him. He mentally concluded that he would not tell Seras Victoria about the bet. He would let her keep her thoughts about Sir Integra pure and somewhat happy. He needed that marvel--that joke--of a vampire to remain a pure, marvelous joke.

So he lost the bet. Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing lost the war. And he would revel in the spoils for many a year to come.

* * *

_Well, that's the end, folks. Sorry it took so long. Bleh. _


End file.
